1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic authentication system for motorcycles typically for scooter-type vehicles.
2. Description of the Related Art
Motorcycles equipped with electronic authentication systems have been known. The electronic authentication system is such as allowing operation of a vehicle only when an authentication ID sent from a portable electronic key owned by a user according to a predetermined operation to the vehicle is judged as being authorized, typically by unlocking the steering bar.
A conventional technology regarding this sort of electronic authentication system is disclosed typically in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-122816; Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-119421; and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-207038.
The technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-122816 is configured so as to start the electronic authentication by operating a vehicle-borne start switch, in which the steering bar and the seat are unlocked when an authorized authentication ID was acquired, and the engine is started by operating the main switch after they are unlocked.
The technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-119421 is aimed at motorcycles capable of unlocking the steering bar and controlling operation of the engine by turning an operation knob provided on the cylinder lock, configured so that the turning operation of the operation knob locked with a locking solenoid is permitted when an authorized authentication ID was acquired, and by operating a seat unlock switch after the authentication.
The technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-207038 is aimed at motorcycles capable of unlocking the steering bar and controlling operation of the engine by turning an operation knob provided on the cylinder lock, configured so that the turning operation of the operation knob locked with a locking solenoid is permitted when an authorized authentication ID was acquired, and by independently operating an unlock switch after the authentication to thereby unlock the seat, and by further independently operating a separate unlock switch to thereby unlock a accommodation portion provided on the front side of the vehicle.
The accommodation portion is provided therein with an operation component for unlocking the oil-supply lid provided on the lower side of the vehicle, so as to allow the user to operate the operation component only when the accommodation portion is unlocked and the lid component is kept open.
The conventional technique disclosed in , Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-122816 however, suffers from a problem in that the seat cannot be unlocked unless otherwise the start switch is operated. Therefore, accommodation of a helmet or the like into a commodity accommodation under the seat, when the vehicle is parked after driving, needs unlocking of the seat by operating the start switch, making the operation inconvenient. Even if the unlocking of the seat is unnecessary, it is anticipated that the user may launch the vehicle while unconsciously leaving the seat unlocked, because the seat is unconditionally unlocked, and this is not recognized as being convenient to use.
The conventional technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-119421 enables independent operations of unlocking the cylinder lock and unlocking the seat, but the seat unlock switch unlocking the seat and the cylinder lock are separately provided, and the accommodation under the seat is accessible only by separately operating the seat unlock switch, and this is not recognized as being desirable in the operability.
The conventional technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-207038 needs operation of a plurality of unlock switches after the electronic authentication, again raising inconvenience in operation. Moreover, unlocking of the oil-supply lid is accessible only after unlocking of the accommodation portion, and this is not recognized as being desirable in the operability and handlability in oil supply.
Moreover, the electronic authentication is even inaccessible in case of shortage of voltage of the vehicle-borne battery of a motorcycle equipped with the electronic authentication system. In this case, only possible way of recovering the electronic authentication system is such as replacing or charging the battery, so as to normally operate the vehicle-borne control unit of the electronic authentication system.
The battery is generally provided inside a front leg shield, and located in the front side of the front accommodation of the vehicle. The battery is accessible only by removing the inner wall of the front accommodation, and can be taken out from the vehicle. The electronic authentication system, however, does not operate due to shortage of the battery voltage, and this makes it impossible to open the front accommodation lid component for which the opening/closing operation thereof should be permitted.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-119421 describes a mechanism by which the lock solenoid is allowed to operate so as to allow turning of the cylinder lock with the knob, after the authentication. This is also configured so that a seat lock actuator is allowed to operate depending on operation of the seat unlock switch after the authentication, and to enable operation control of the engine with a controller depending on electric conduction of the main switch.
This sort of vehicle is equipped with an emergency unlock key cylinder, and the unlock operation thereof allows a link to turn so as to pull a transmission interlock, and converts a seat catcher from the seat catching state to the seat releasing state. Provision of the emergency unlock key cylinder also enables switching of the seat catcher into the seat releasing state, by either of operation of the seat lock actuator and the unlock operation of the emergency unlock key cylinder.
The conventional mechanism described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-119421, however, cannot unlock the steering bar, unless otherwise a predetermined component in the accommodation box under the seat is operated, after unlocking the seat through operation of the emergency unlock key. Operation of the predetermined component results in a control state similar to that established when the authorized ID signal is received, and this raises a problem in that even a person other than the owner of the vehicle can readily steal the whole vehicle by drastically operating the emergency unlock key cylinder.
Moreover, it cannot be said that a desirable level of immobilizer function has not been provided, if the engine start is remained accessible through the emergency unlock key cylinder lock, despite the electronic authentication system is adopted, and this inevitably degrades the crime prevention performance. The emergency unlock key cylinder lock is provided in a second commodity accommodation portion having no lock mechanism, so that the emergency unlock key cylinder lock may be found when someone is picking something in the second commodity accommodation portion.
The present invention is conceived after considering the above-described situation, and an object thereof is to provide an electronic authentication system for a motorcycle excellent in the handlability and operability, and also in antitheft performance or the like.